MP Jacob Rees-Mogg defends his right to earn from second job
An MP who earns £11,000 a month away from Parliament has defended his right to keep a second job.
House of Commons records show North East Somerset MP Jacob Rees-Mogg received around £132,000 in the year to August from his company Somerset Capital Management. The Conservative MP works 35 hours a month in return for the cash.
-
North East Somerset MP Jacob Rees-Mogg
Yesterday the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority published proposals to reform the way MPs are paid. Options being explored include docking the pay of those with second jobs and culling generous final-salary pension schemes.
Mr Rees-Mogg said he had chosen not to claim personal expenses and to maintain his other job before being elected in 2010.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
Asked about the new proposals, said: “I’m relatively relaxed about it. I don’t want to make it revolve around my own case, because I don’t think it does.”
The Tory said there were “very good arguments” in favour of the move, like keeping down the cost of politics to taxpayers. But he said there was also a danger of giving rich candidates a campaigning advantage, because they could tell voters: “You can have me for half the price of my opponent.”
An MP's basic salary is £65,738, and they are paid more if they serve on committees or are made ministers.
Comments
by siarad2
Sunday, October 21 2012, 11:21AM
“There was a time when a lot of MP had proved themselves in commercial life & thus knew how to get things done. Further they earned little as MP but had expenses.
The whole country was run by their organisational skills while coping with their 'day jobs'.
Now the EU runs most of us but MP are highly paid with massive expenses for doing much less.
It seems they only know how to be politicians & property developers not competent organisers or overseers as they've never 'worked'.
Gordon Brown, the first chancellor with a PhD but it was in history not economics! who wrote his Scotland was a colony of England did a least work for many years. Nowadays many future MP leave college with political degrees, to be a political researchers, before being elected thus have no knowledge of the real world. Don't think the TV programme 'The Thick of It' is just fiction.”
by siarad2
Sunday, October 21 2012, 10:31AM
“@blackbird21
Ouch!”
by WebsterSmog
Saturday, October 20 2012, 4:19PM
“Newsnight summed it up all quite well last night. Discussion on whether the tories were out-of-touch or not. And the tory they had on was...
"The Thick Of It" is nowhere near as amusing as real life!”
by blackbird21
Thursday, October 18 2012, 6:36PM
“I agree that Jacob should keep his second job. After all only by earning such a high salary is he going to know the hardship families face in their day to day lives. Just think he has the anxiety when he wakes in the morning of knowing his bills will be paid, his phone will not be cut off and he does not need to out on an extra jumper because his heating is always on. He can boo to high utility bills, boo to high food bills. Only by living hiscomfortable, high earning life can he truly represent the good people of our country. After all, lets not forget there are only 15 millionaires in the cabinet.”